Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-01-21
DECLINE OF THE DUEL.
The Great Advance Made in Popular
Opinion-Slaves to Custom.

1t has been less than twenty-seven
years, less than the average lifetime of a
generation, since Robert Toombs deliv'
cred in the senate of the United States a
eulogy on Senator Broderick, Of Califor'
MIA, who had been killed In a duel with
Judge Terry. In referring to the man
ner of Broderick's death Toombs says:
HE fell in honorable contest, under a
code which he fully recognized. While
lament his sad fate, have no word OF
censure for him or his adversary. !
.link no man under any circumstances
can have a more enviable death than to
fall in vindication of his honor"
When those words were uttered they
probably expressed the sentiment of a
large majority of the senators of the
United States. There was probably not
a senator at the time who, if he did not
approve "the code" would have been
bold enough to denounce it.
This speech, which was in thorough
accord with the manifest spirit of the
time when 1t was uttered, is moral
milepost from which we can measure the
great advance made in the popular opinion
ON the subject of dueling in compare
lively short time. If member of either
house of congress were to apologize in a
speech in the capital for the practice OF
dueling, it would probably be the death
knell to his political ambition. 1t would
at least mark him as a victim of that I'M
compromising public opinion which in
every part of this country has set the
seal of its condemnation on dueling and
abolished "the CODE"
This sudden and almost universal aboli-
ton of custom 30 entangled with the
highest conceptions of honor, 80 firmly
fixed in social ethics, and so softened as
to the real features of its barbaric cruelty
by a gentlsness and courtesy that pre-
served the romance of medieval knight
hood, is indeed remarkable. 1t is prob
ably the best single proof that could be
offered of the advance of our people in
good morals and true culture.
The last retreat of the doomed custom
was Virginia. After it had been abjureo
almost everywhere else it seemed tC
flourish there. This was because of the
peculiar political complications in thai
state which brought men into sharp per
sonal antagonism. In the heated cam
paigns Of 1880 and 1881 personal diff
culties were numerous, and frequen
expeditions were made to the field Of
honor" While most of those engaged
in this deplorable business were men o.
unquestioned courage, the percentage o.
damage to the number of duels was 81
small as to bring these combats int
general ridicule. The term "Virginii
duel" was coined, and is still extant, tt
express an affair with all the pomp anC
ceremony of bloody encounter minus
the blood.
An intelligent Virginia gentleman
who was until late years a believer il
"the CODE" told me the other day tina
dueling was dead in this state. He sale
that the capitalization of the best publ,
opinion in that state against it within the
past two years had been simply wonder
full, and there is not county in Vir
ginia where a man would not now ele
waite himself more in the opinion of tn
people by declining a challenge than b,
accepting one.
There never was time in truly civil
iNoo OouuOiy WITCH HAL uiu hO1 iCNoi
from the thought of staying or bein,
slain in these deliberate combats. Mel
who faced each other with deadly weap
ons to fight to the death often had no an
mostly. They were slaves to a custom
which had drifted from barbarism int
civilization; to an idea which had helC
its place in some hard portion of the pop
ular conscience untouched by the inhu
ences that were identifying and and re
filming all other sentiments of the popu
lar heart. Public opinion bolstered duel
ing into an unnatural prolongation of it
sway. Now that public opinion has no
only withdrawn its support, but ha
lifted its implacable cry against the mis-
cradle custom, it must go.-Atlanta Con
stitution.